top of page
Search

A transdiagnostic model for how general purpose AI chatbots can perpetuate OCD and anxiety disorders

Jun 11
1 min read

March 2026


Millions are turning to general-purpose AI chatbots for psychological support, potentially reinforcing symptoms such as intolerance of uncertainty, “need to know” compulsions, and perfectionism. Clinical observation and emerging research suggest chatbot features exacerbate transdiagnostic avoidance—a process integral to OCD and anxiety—perpetuating maladaptive cycles and hindering corrective learning. We propose a framework in which avoidance is reinforced through repeated chatbot interactions, and outline strategies for clinicians, users, developers, and policymakers to support healthier engagement.



CITE

Golden, A., Aboujaoude, E. A transdiagnostic model for how general purpose AI chatbots can perpetuate OCD and anxiety disorders. npj Digit. Med. 9, 343 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-02531-7



Comments

Capture d’écran 2025-10-09 à 20.08_edited.jpg

Help Dr. Said Build a Hospital and School in Zanzibar

 

Dr. Said’s knowledge has a family history. In a 2016 National Geographic profile, he described learning from his grandfather as a child, gathering plants and preparing them under his guidance. What felt like demanding chores gradually became an inheritance: knowledge acquired through practice, observation, and years spent alongside someone who knew how to teach it.

 

Today, Dr. Said wants to give that inheritance a permanent home.

 

His project brings together two purposes: a hospital where he can care for patients through his traditional practice, and a school where he can teach others. His approach draws on plants, spices, and spiritual knowledge rooted in Zanzibar’s traditions. The school would allow this knowledge to reach beyond one practitioner and one family, giving future generations a place to learn.

HELP US ON GOFUNDME

  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
bottom of page